Radio Kaos Caribou - "Radio KC"

Forward-vision French media company embarks on redefining trendy Internet Radio through the creative use of Mixcloud Podcasts

Kathryn Ballard Shut

Radio Kaos Caribou Logo (reposted with permission)

Most are familiar by now with Internet Radio in its various incantations, either through Pandora's "Music Genome Project", which customizes automatic radio stations based on a listener's favorite artist or group, all the way to conventional radio stations that broadcast or "stream" terrestrial radio feeds over the Internet to fans worldwide. But take this concept one step further; borrow from the conventional podcast, blend with fullness of Internet radio, and fuse the mixes into an ever-changing palette of music styles and genres, and you've got Radio Kaos Caribou, known as " Radio KC. "

Born in April 2012 from the suburbs of Paris, France (Ermont), RKC's founder, Jerome Dumortier, known as "DJ NT" uses the online service Mixcloud to concoct amazing musical cocktails, designed to tell a story, set a mood, and always flow from one idea to the next. Using spoken vignettes from film, together with world-class music, DJ NT weaves together palettes that include classic rock (complete with rain effects) from the Doors' "Riders on the Storm", but that winds its way to the Doobie Brothers and disco, and eventually lands on Diana Ross' version of "Good Morning Heartache." The mix itself could include multiple music genres, such as smooth jazz, driving funk, Mexican mariachi music, a power ballad or two, and all within the space of 10 minutes - a delight to the attention-deficit and musically-curious among us.

Each mix in French is called a "decoupé" and the RKC Mixcloud site skillfully shows the names of each of the tracks so that if a track catches one's attention, listeners can either buy the single directly from the site, or at least know the name of the band long enough to research it further.

What makes RKC so much fun is that with each podcast offering, upon pushing PLAY, the listener has no idea what to expect, other than the blissful *absence* of commercials and other annoying pop-up ads. Each podcast, while prepared in advance, comprises several hours' worth of nothing but music, claims that many other online stations no longer can make. Furthermore, each podcast underlies a distinct theme, such as appropriate for Friday night clubbing, current political climates and social issues, or something as simple as Sunday morning coffee and toast.

At present, two mixes are available for RKC's site, but DJ NT indicated earlier today that RKC is ready to release over 30 new ideas in the course of the next few months, and I will certainly be listening for more independent artists and fresh ideas as a result of the station's "decoupés."

RKC does offer a traditional radio streaming feed, twenty-four hours a day, in addition to its eclectic podcasts at http://rkc.noip.me; however, to experience DJ NT's work, visit Mixcloud at http://www.mixcloud.com/RadioKC.